Dr Danika Jurat¹

Danika Jurat is an unaccredited plastic and reconstructive surgery registrar working at Royal Perth Hospital.

Abstract:

Background:
Invented by renowned Australian Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Professor Fiona Wood, the ReCell® Autologous Cell Harvesting Device (ReCell®) or “spray-on skin” was patented in 1993. (1) Fiona Wood co-founded a laboratory with scientist Marie Stoner; producing a product that progressed from confluent sheets of cultured epithelial autografts to aerosol delivered cell clusters. (1) Whilst culturing epidermal cells had been documented since 1975, this was the first cell spray system utilised in clinical practice. (2)

The Progression:
A multi-phenotype cell suspension, ReCell® was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association in 2006. (2) Cells are harvested from a 2cm² split thickness piece of skin with a 1:80cm² expansion ratio on application. In 2012, the cell suspension was characterised. 75.5% of the cell isolate was viable with 64.3 ± 28.8% keratinocytes, 30.3 ± 14.0% fibroblasts and 3.5 ± 0.5% melanocytes. (3)

Current Standard:
Today, ReCell® is approved for acute, partial thickness thermal burns in adult patients via direct application and application in combination with meshed autografting for acute, full thickness thermal burns of the paediatric and adult population. Application requires preparation of the autologous Regenerative Epidermal Suspension up to thirty minutes prior to use. (1,2) In 2018, Holmes et al. demonstrated synonymous healing of deep partial thickness burns between ReCell® and meshed split-thickness skin grafts. The ReCell® donor sites elicited significantly less pain during the acute period and had an improved appearance at long term follow up.(4)

Biography:

Danika Jurat is an unaccredited plastic and reconstructive surgery registrar working at Royal Perth Hospital.